Transmigrating to the Song Dynasty: Water Margin Business Management

The Wangji Restaurant in the capital was bustling with activity that day, its doors packed with guests.

Lu Qian, dressed in a black robe, sneaked into the restaurant and found the rogue Niu Er.

Niu Er was slumped in the corner, drinking cheap wine and cursing under his breath. Lu Qian approached him, a fake smile on his face, and said in a low voice, "Brother Niu Er, I have a good deal for you. If you can do it, I'll give you a hundred taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Niu Er's eyes lit up immediately, and he shouted, reeking of alcohol, "What wonderful news? Tell me quickly!"

Lu Qian looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention, leaned close to Niu Er's ear and said something like this.

Upon hearing this, Niu Er slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "What's so difficult about that! I'll definitely handle it perfectly for you!"

Lu Qian took out a heavy money bag from his pocket, handed it to Niu Er, and said, "There will be a big reward after the matter is done."

Niu Er took the money bag, grinned, revealing a set of black and yellow teeth, and said, "Don't worry, Master Lu, I, Niu Er, have some reputation in this capital city. I certainly won't let you down!"

A few days later, Zhao Tianming and several of his brothers happened to arrive at Wang's Restaurant.

They had just sat down when Niu Er sauntered over and plopped down on the stool next to Zhao Tianming.

Zhao Tianming frowned and said, "You rascal, don't be rude!"

Niu Er, however, persisted, shouting, "What? Do you own this restaurant? Can't I sit here?"

Upon seeing this, Lu Zhishen glared angrily and shouted, "You filthy wretch, how dare you act so wildly in front of us!"

Niu Er was not afraid at all. Instead, he stood up, pointed at Zhao Tianming and the others, and cursed, "You bunch of bandits, why are you running to the capital instead of staying in the mountains? Are you plotting something?"

Zhao Tianming was startled, knowing that Niu Er was deliberately provoking trouble.

Lin Chong said, "Stop talking nonsense, we're just here to have a drink."

Niu Er refused to listen and became even more arrogant, shouting loudly in the restaurant: "Everyone come and see, this is Zhao Tianming and his gang of rebels!"

The guests in the restaurant were immediately in an uproar, and they all cast strange glances at them.

Zhao Tianming suppressed his anger and said, "You scoundrel, don't spout nonsense!"

Niu Er, however, persisted and rushed forward to pull Zhao Tianming away.

Lu Zhishen could no longer contain himself. He grabbed Niu Er by the collar, lifted him up, and shouted, "You scoundrel, if you dare to cause trouble again, I'll snap your neck!"

Niu Er turned pale with fright at Lu Zhishen, but still stubbornly retorted, "You dare to commit violence in the capital? Aren't you afraid of the law?"

At this moment, the restaurant manager and his staff gathered around and advised, "Heroes, please don't get angry and ruin our business."

Zhao Tianming said, "We don't want to cause trouble, but this scoundrel is just creating trouble for no reason."

Taking advantage of Lu Zhishen's moment of loosening his grip, Niu Er broke free and started causing a ruckus in the restaurant, smashing the tables and chairs to pieces.

For a moment, the restaurant was in complete chaos.

Just then, a group of officers and soldiers arrived after hearing the news.

The leading captain shouted, "Who's causing trouble here?"

Niu Er rushed to the captain and cried, "Sir, Zhao Tianming and his gang are rebels, causing trouble in the restaurant."

The captain looked at Zhao Tianming and the others and asked, "Is this true?"

Zhao Tianming said, "Your Honor is wise; this scoundrel is deliberately provoking trouble."

The captain frowned and said, "Take them all back to the yamen and await further instructions!"

Left with no other choice, Zhao Tianming and the others had to follow the soldiers to the yamen.

Upon arriving at the yamen, Niu Er insisted that Zhao Tianming and his men were rebels who intended to cause trouble in the capital.

Zhao Tianming argued forcefully, saying, "We are loyal and virtuous men who have been framed by treacherous people."

The officials in the yamen were also muddle-headed. Upon hearing what Niu Er said, they wanted to imprison Zhao Tianming and the others.

At this critical moment, Yan Qing stepped forward and said, "My lord, there must be something fishy about this. Zhao Tianming and the others are loyal and have made many contributions to the court. How could they be traitors?"

After a moment's thought, the official said, "Let's detain them for now and find out the truth."

Zhao Tianming and others were imprisoned.

In prison, Lu Zhishen was furious and roared, "Gao Qiu and Cai Jing are truly despicable and shameless, resorting to such vile means!"

Zhao Tianming said, "Don't be impulsive. We will definitely find a way to clear your name."

Meanwhile, Lu Qian was overjoyed to learn that Zhao Tianming and the others had been imprisoned and immediately reported to Gao Qiu and Cai Jing.

Gao Qiu laughed and said, "Let's see how they turn the tables this time!"

Cai Jing then said in a sinister tone, "Let them suffer in prison first."

Gao Qiu and Tong Guan stood before Cai Jing with grim expressions. Gao Qiu spoke first, saying, "Grand Tutor, Zhao Tianming has many capable and righteous men under his command. Despite our repeated schemes, he has always managed to escape danger. This time, using the Niu Er incident is merely a temporary measure to stall them. They can leave on the spot if they want, but they don't want to bear the infamy of rebelling against the court."

Cai Jing sat in his armchair, stroking his beard, and nodded slightly. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Grand Commandant Gao is absolutely right. This Zhao Tianming gang is indeed no ordinary person. We must plan this carefully and make sure they have no chance to turn the tables."

Tong Guan snorted coldly and said, "Grand Tutor, in my opinion, we should take advantage of their imprisonment and act quickly to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Gao Qiu hurriedly said, "We must not act rashly. If we act rashly, we may attract criticism and be accused of abusing our power and harming loyal and virtuous people."

Cai Jing pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Grand Commandant Gao is right. Zhao Tianming is quite popular among the people. If we act too hastily, we may incite a popular uprising."

Tong Guan asked anxiously, "Does the Grand Tutor mean to let them go?"

Cai Jing waved his hand and said, "No. We need to come up with a foolproof plan that can both eliminate Zhao Tianming and his group and silence public opinion."

Gao Qiu's eyes darted around, and he said, "Grand Tutor, I have a plan. Why not torture them severely in prison to force them to confess their crimes, and then announce their crimes to the world? In this way, the people will not doubt our injustice."

Cai Jing shook his head and said, "This plan is not appropriate. Zhao Tianming and the others are all tough guys and may not be able to be tortured into confessing. Moreover, if such a cruel method is used, it may arouse sympathy from others."

Tong Guan frowned and said, "This won't work, that won't work, does the Grand Tutor have a better plan?"

Cai Jing looked at Gao Qiu, a sly glint in his eyes, and said, "Grand Commandant, I've heard that your confidant Lu Qian often goes to the Supreme Gambling House."

Gao Qiu nodded and said, "Lu Qian likes to play a couple of rounds now and then. Grand Tutor, do you have a brilliant plan?"

Cai Jing said to Gao Qiu with a sinister look, "Grand Commandant, there's a man in the capital named Liu Cheng. It's rumored that he's one of Fang La's men and has a close relationship with the siblings Pang Wanchun and Pang Qiuxia. Have Lu Qian go to the Supreme Gambling House and find a way to set up a trap to lure Liu Cheng in and make him lose everything. Afterward, use this relationship to frame Zhao Tianming for colluding with Fang La's remnants. You should know that Zhao Tianming has a very good relationship with the siblings Pang Wanchun and Pang Qiuxia."

Upon hearing this, Gao Qiu's eyes flashed with a glint of light, and he said, "Grand Tutor's plan is brilliant, but can Lu Qian handle this matter well?"

Cai Jing sneered and said, "Hmph, promise him some benefits, then threaten him with consequences, how dare he refuse?"

Gao Qiu nodded and replied, "Alright, I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

Subsequently, Gao Qiu summoned Lu Qian and revealed the entire conspiracy.

Lu Qian immediately agreed.

Lu Qian meticulously set a trap, deliberately approaching Liu Cheng at the Supreme Gambling House. Unaware of the scheme, Liu Cheng quickly fell into Lu Qian's gambling trap. Two days later, Liu Cheng indeed lost everything.

Taking advantage of the situation, Lu Qian blackmailed Liu Cheng, demanding that he follow the plan and falsely accuse Zhao Tianming of having ties with Fang La's remnants. Otherwise, he threatened to expose Liu Cheng's gambling scandal and even kill him. Liu Cheng had no choice but to comply.

Cai Jing and others then spread rumors throughout the court, claiming that Zhao Tianming was colluding with the remnants of Fang La's forces and plotting a rebellion. Emperor Huizong was furious upon hearing this and ordered a thorough investigation.

When Zhao Tianming and the others heard this news in prison, they were both shocked and furious.

Zhao Tianming's eyes widened in anger, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "This is purely a malicious frame-up. I have absolutely no connection with Fang La's remnants!"

After reviewing the accounts and letters, Emperor Huizong of Song was furious and immediately issued an edict to severely punish Zhao Tianming and others.

Upon hearing this news in prison, Zhao Tianming and the others were filled with grief and indignation. Lin Chong angrily exclaimed, "This must be a forgery by Gao Qiu and Cai Jing's gang, intended to kill us!" Lu Zhishen was even more enraged, his veins bulging, and he cursed, "This foolish emperor can't distinguish right from wrong; he's been deceived by that traitor!"

Zhao Tianming's expression was solemn. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "The best we can do now is to find evidence to prove that this is a frame-up, only then will we have a chance to survive."

Yan Qing said, "I am willing to risk going out to find the truth and clear everyone's name."

After everyone had discussed and decided on a plan, Yan Qing, relying on his wit and skill, escaped from the prison under cover of night.

He searched far and wide for clues. Finally, with the help of a righteous person, he learned the inside story of how Gao Qiu, Cai Jing, and others falsified accounts.

It turned out that Gao Qiu ordered people to imitate the handwriting of Pang Wanchun and Pang Qiuxia to forge letters, and secretly manipulated the accounts of the money shop to create the illusion that Zhao Tianming was colluding with Fang La's remaining followers.

After obtaining the evidence, Yan Qing rushed back to the prison and told Zhao Tianming and the others the truth.

Zhao Tianming said, "With this evidence, we need to find a way to present it to the Emperor so that he can investigate the truth."

At this moment, Gao Qiu, Cai Jing, and their gang were gloating, thinking their conspiracy was about to succeed.

However, Zhao Tianming and others did not give up in prison. Through various channels, they finally managed to pass the evidence to Su Yuanjing.

Su Yuanjing risked his life to meet Emperor Huizong of Song, presenting evidence and denouncing the crimes of Gao Qiu and Cai Jing.

Emperor Huizong of Song initially did not believe it, but after carefully examining the evidence and listening to Su Yuanjing's earnest explanation, he began to waver.

Ultimately, Emperor Huizong of Song decided to re-examine the case.

Emperor Huizong of Song decided to re-examine the case, which greatly worried Gao Qiu and Cai Jing.

Gao Qiu and Cai Jing secretly plotted a countermeasure. Gao Qiu said, "This Su Yuanjing has ruined our important plans. We must find a way to get rid of him." Cai Jing squinted and said, "Grand Commandant, don't be anxious. I have already arranged for people to start with his family."

Cai Jing secretly ordered the arrest and torture of Su Yuanjing's family members, forcing them to confess that Su Yuanjing had conspired with Zhao Tianming and others to rebel. Su Yuanjing's family members refused to yield, but Cai Jing forged their confessions.

Gao Qiu took the confession to the palace and presented it to Emperor Huizong of Song, saying, "Your Majesty, Su Yuanjing's family has confessed without reservation that he is indeed involved with the rebels." Emperor Huizong's face darkened after reading it.

Upon learning of his family's arrest, Su Yuanjing was frantic with worry and went to the palace to see Emperor Huizong of Song, pleading with the emperor to investigate. Emperor Huizong, however, remained indifferent, saying, "Minister Su, the evidence is irrefutable. What else do you have to say?"

Su Yuanjing knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, this is clearly a conspiracy by Gao Qiu and Cai Jing, and the confession is a forgery." Emperor Huizong remained silent.

Gao Qiu seized the opportunity to advise, "Your Majesty, Su Yuanjing is eloquent and flattering; he should not be easily trusted."

Su Yuanjing, filled with grief and indignation, said, "Your Majesty, my loyalty is as clear as day. If Your Majesty does not believe me, I am willing to die to prove my loyalty."

Just then, Zhao Tianming and the others learned of Su Yuanjing's predicament while in prison. Zhao Tianming said, "We can't just sit idly by; we must find a way to help Lord Su."

While in prison, they wrote letters and had them secretly smuggled out to contact some upright ministers in the court.